Turbo-generator for ships.



R. V. MORSE.

TURBO GENERATOR FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED AP11.5.1915.

1,225,992. Patented May15,1917.

l Y N o o i v /f Tx N 1 X1". Q i S1 j y hv' QQ 1 w ,f/ 1 .L s. @k f J w" 2* -/f;y 1 l.. Y N' N Q 1 .i N N i jwmzf y 5 7mm/Q i ROBERT V. MORSE, F ITHACA, NEW YORK.

TURBO-GENERATOR FOR SHIPS.

l .Specilcation of Letters Patent. l Patented May 15, 1917,

Y "Application ledlA'pril 5, 1915. Serial No. 19,349.

To all lwhom t may concern.' Be it known that I, ROBERT V. -MoRsE', a citizen of the United ,States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of'Tompkins and State of New York, have invented anew vand useful Turbo-Generatorfor Ships, of which the following, taken with fthe. accompanying drawings, is a specification. l

My inventionrelatesto the electrical propulsion of ships and in particularvto the mounting of the turbo-generators on vshipboard in such a manneras to obtain a desirable gyroscopic eli'ect,'whereby the ship may be stabilized, or the 'motion of the ship controlled. The powerful e'i'ect of gyroscopes on ships is well known, and the particular object of my invention is to provide a simple mounting for the turbo-generators to obtain a gyroscopic effect; yto lead steam to and from the turbine; and. to adapt the gyroscopic turbo-generator to a precise precession control.v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section illustrating my gyroscopic turbo-generator as installedin a ship; Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section on'the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. y

Referring to thedrawing," 1, 1,1, designates the frame `or decks of a ship. The brackets or braces 2 may also be considered part of the ship structure as they are rigidly secured thereto. Fixed to the'bra'ces 2' is the collar 3, which is shown broken away and in section in the drawing. This collar 3 surrounds the steam-pipe 4, (shown partly in section), which leads the steam from the boilers of the ship. vThe steam-pipe 4 is irmly secured to the collar 3, with suitable steam-tight -joints. The collar 3 also surrounds and supports the trunnion 5 of the main frame 6, which carries the turbine 7 and the generator 8 rigidly secured thereto. More than one turbine or more than one enerator might be mounted in a single ame if desired. The 'trunnion 5 on which the main frame 6 swings, is made hollow so as to provide a conduit 9 communicating with die steam-pipe 4, from which the steam may be led through suitable pipes or passages to the nozzles of the turbine 7. The steam joints at the trunnion 5 are made steam-tight with 'suitable packings and rings, arranged to permit the trunnion to turn freely in its socket. The bearings 10 supporting the rotating parts of the turbine 7 and generator 8 are firmly and which is strongly built to resist the gyro#4 scopic stresses. Leading from the generator 8 are the conductors 1l connected tothe slip rings 12, on which bear the brushes 13, connected to the conductors 14,d through which means the current is led to and from the generator irrespective of the position into which it may swing. The lower trunnion 15 of the main frame 6 is larger than the` trunnion 5, and rotates in the collar 16 which surrounds it, (shown partly broken away in section), and which is secured to the ship structure l. The trunnion 15 is made hollow, to provide the conduit 17, in the manner of the other trunnion. The conduit 17 communicates with the exhaust side of the turbine casing 7 and a'ords a passage through which `the expanded exhaust steam'may flow, and for that reason is madel larger than the conduit 9 in the trunnion 5 to accommodate the increased volume -of steam. The joint at the 'trunnion -15 vis providedwith -suitable packing which renders it steam-tight and airtight, while permitting the trunnion to turn in its socket. The conduit 17 communicates with the exhaust pipe 18, which is secured to the fixed collar 16. The pipe 18 may lead to the condenser of the ship. Connected to the main frame 6 is the connecting rod or link 20 whichl connects the main frame 6 with a precession engine or brake 23, whereby the precession is determined and controlled. This precession engine or brake 23 is diagrammatically shown as a steam or hydraulic cylinder 24, whose valves are controlled electrically through the wires 25 by the inverted pendulum 26, which is operatedv manually or by the motion of the ship, to make and break the controlling circuit. The particular .form of precession controller is immaterial and any of the precession engines or controllers used with the ordinary ships gyroscopes may be used with this turbo-generator mounting, since no condenser or other bulky part need be swung.

The precession controlling means need not vnecessarily be connected by a link; since ship. Then to create gyroscopic torques vtransverse of the ship, as for rolling, the

ends of the frame 6,-as where the link is attached,-s`hould be moved or precessed forward and back, or fore-andaft of the ship. That is, the trunnion axis and the rotor axis should both be at right angles to the axis about which the gyroscopic torque is to be created, or the axis of the ships motion. As the main frame 6 is thus swung forward and back the steam may flow freely through the trunnion 5 and the trunnion l5 as indicated by the arrows, thus operating the turbine V7. In case of emergency the precession ofthe main frame 6 may be prevented or controlled through the brake-21. This brake or lock may be mechanical, magnetic, or of any other powerful type.

While the turbgener'ator axis will preferably lie horizontalv and the trunnion axis.

vertical, because'of the firm foundation furnished by the large exhaust trunnion 15,yet

the set may be arranged at any angle,-pro

vided the rotor and trunnion axes lie in a plane at right angles to the axis of theA ships motion. Thus for example the turbo-generator axis may be arranged vertically and the trunni'on axis horizontally athwartships, as if for example the drawing were turned through 90, so that the steam would come in at the side' through the small trunnion and out from the other side through the large trunnion. The same precise control of precession is possible in this position as in the first mentioned position, since the bulky condenser is outside of the gyroscopic system and hence the swinging or recessing parts are readily controlled. It s ould also be understood that several units such as illustratedmay be connectedtogether, so`as t precess together. Y

I claim as my invention,

15A gyroscopicmounting for ships generators comprising in combination a main frame, a turbo-generator ysecured td said frame, a hollow trunnion through which steam may enter to the turbo-generator, a

. second hollow trunnion through which expanded uncondensed exhaust steam may ex' lia-ust from the turbo-generator, 4the main frame being mounted to' swing upon said hollow trunnions, and means for controlling said swing.

2. A gyroscopic mountin for ships generators, comprising in com ination a steam turbine mounted with its axis in a substanone of Vsaid pivotal moun I a;

tially horizontal position, trunnions pivotally supporting said turbine, the trunnions being arranged in a substantially vertical position, and .iiieans for conducting steam to said turbine.

3. A gyroscopie mounting for ships turbines, comprising in combination a turbine,

trunnions supporting said turbine to permit` swinging movements thereof, one of said .trunnions -having -an intake passage, one of said trunnions having an exhaust passage,A

trunnions supporting said turbine to permit swinging 'movements thereof, oneof said Vtrunnions having an intakeY passage, one of said trunnions having an exhaust passage, the exhaust passage being sufficiently lar er than the intake passage to allow expan ed uncondensed exhaust steain'to fiow freely' I through the exhaust paage, and means for controlling the swinging movements of the turbine.

5. In a gyroscopic mounting for ships turbines, the combination of a turbogener ator mounted for swinging movements relative to a ship, means for conducting the motive iiuid to the turbo-generator, Vmeans for conducting the electric current from the turbo-generator, and means for locking the Vturbo-generator against swinging movements relative to the ship.

6. In a gyroscopic mounting for ships turbines, the combination of a turbo-generator mounted for swinging movements relative to a ship, means for conducting the' motive .fluid to the turbo-generator, means for conducting thepelectric current from the Y turbo-generator, and mechanical means for creating precessional movements of the turbo-generator.

7. VIn a gyroscopic mounting -for a ships turbo-generator, the combination of a generator, pivotal mountings for said turbo-v generator on which it is adapted to swing, one of said pivotal moun 'being larger than the other, means for taking the working fluid into the turbo-generator, means for taking the expanded exhaust 'working fluid from the turbo-generator out throughthe larger pivotal-mounting, and means for conducting the electric current from theturbogenerator.

y8.In aegyroscopic mounting for a ships turbo-generator, the combination' of a turbogenerator, pivotal mountings for said turbogenerator on which it is adaptdtp swing,

than the other, means f or g the expanded lar eroivotal mountinfr means for conduct-- ing the electric current from the turbo-generator, and mechanical means for determining and controlling the swinging movements of the turbo-generator.

9. In a gyroscopic mounting for ships turbines, the combination of a steam turbine, a trunnionmounting for the steam turbine to permitv swinging movements thereof, means for conducting steam into said turhaust steam from the turbine out through the trunmon mounting to the condenser, whereby the turbme may have swinging movements relative to the condenser.

10. In a marine power plant, a turbo-generator mounted for ,precessional movements so as to constitute a gyroscopic system, a iXed condenser external to said' gyroscopic system, and a hollow trunnion through which exhaust Steam may flow from the turbogenerator -to the condenser.

11. In a. gyroscopic mounting for ships turbines, the Vcombination of a. turbo-generator, hollowpivotal mountings tor-said generator on which it. is adapted to swing, and means for creating and controlling the swinging movements of the turbo-generator.

12. In a gyroscopic mounting for ships turbines, the combination of a turbo-generator, hollow pivotal mountings for the turbo-generator on'which it is 'adapted to swing, and means for conducting the uncondensed Working fluid to and from the turbogenerator by way of the pivotal mountings.

13. In a gyroscopic mounting for ships7 turbines, the combination of a turbo-generator mounted for precessional movements, f

means for conducting the uncondensed working fluid to and from the turbine, means for conducting the electric current to and from the generator, and means for restraining the precessional movements of the turbo-generator.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th (lay of April,'1915.

ROBERT V. MORSE.

Witnesses:

ALFRED B. DENT, J. MASSON. 

